iurra- 
Uiurra 


I 

lifornia 
onal 
ity 


WURRA-WURRA 


GROTTO  AND  IMAGE  OF  WTJKRA-WUKKA 
Drawn  by  John  Innes,  from  his  reconstruction  of  this  very 
ancient  Celtic  Idol,  as  described  in  the  Legend. 


WURRA-WURRA 

A    LEGEND    OF    SAINT 
PATRI C  K    AT    TAR A 


HERE  FIRST  TRANSCRIBED  AND  COMPARED 
WITH  THE  TESTIMONY  OF  ANCIENT  REC- 
ORDS AND  MODERN  HISTORICAL  RESEARCH 


By  CURTIS    DUNHAM 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  GOLDEN  GOBLIN,"  ETC. 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS,  INCLUDING  A  RE- 
CONSTRUCTION OF  THE  VERY  ANCIENT 
CELTIC  IDOL  CALLED  WURRA-WURRA 

By     JOHN       INNES 

NEW  YORK 

DESMOND  FITZGERALD,  INC. 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1911, 
BY  DESMOND  FITZGERALD,  INC. 


TO  THOSE  DESCENDANTS 
OF  THE  O'SHAUGHNESSY  WHO  PRE- 
SERVED THIS  LEGEND  OF  ST.  PATRICK  AT  TARA ; 
TO      THE      MEMORY      OF      FATHER      O'SHAUGHNESSY, 
FROM  WHOM  IT  WAS  RECEIVED  ORALLY  ;   AND 
TO     THE     ANTI-WORRY     SOCIETIES     OF 
CHRISTENDOM,    THIS     TRANSCRIPT 
IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 


2057974 


FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Grotto  and  Image  of  Wurra-Wurra    .       .      Frontispiece 

Facing  page 

Patrick  casting  down  Cromm  Cruach  and  the  twelve 
smaller  idols 12 

Keth,  Patrick's  Strong  Man,  describing  to  Finola  the 
virtues  of  his  handstone 20 

Keth  MacMaragh  in  the  bog,  beset  by  the  wizard 
spells  of  Lochru 38 

Keth  recites  the  Brehon  Law  to  Dubthach  Mac  na 
Lugair  and  his  debtor 44 

Dubthach,   the  Royal   Shanachy,   driving  home  the 
price  of  his  poems 48 

Far  down  Glanngalt  Keth  sees  the  torches  flaming 
about  the  Grotto  of  Wurra-Wurra      .      .  52 

With  his  mighty  handstone,  defying  Lochru,  Keth 
shatters  the  idol  Wurra-Wurra 62 

Finola  runs  to  Keth  and  delivers  an  urgent  message 
from  Patrick 64 

Keth,  in  the  shattered  idol's  place,  hears  Finola's  great 
worry 76 

Patrick  marries  and  blesses  Keth  and  Finola  of  the 
White  Shoulder 78 


ssa 


WAS  in  J:he  days  whin  the  good 
.:  Patrick  of  Armagh  slept  with 
•j  wan  eye  open,  owin'  to  the  mur- 
derous desire  of  a  bunch  of  hay- 
thin  magicians  to  hang  onto 
their  jobs  at  the  court  of  King 
Laeghaire.  There  was  the 
chief  royal  wizard,  Lochru  by 
name,  an*  two  other  divil-sint 
Druid  priests,  namely  Caplait 
an*  Lucat-Moel,  who  hild  the 


WURRA-WURRA 


graft  of  makin'  wise  haythins 

of  Ethne  the  Fair  an'  Fedelm 

the    Ruddy,    the    King's    two 

daughters  an*  the  twin  apples 

of  his  eye;    an'  between   the 

three  of  thim,  with  the  King  lookin'  their 

way  wan  day  an'  Patrick's  way  the  next,  the 

spells  of  wind  an'  water  an'  black  magic  the 

good  Patrick  had  to  circumvint  were  sure  a 

caution. 

Now  Patrick,  bein'  a  gintleman  and  the 
guest  of  King  Laeghaire  at  Tara,  could  not 


WURRA-WURRA 


turn  himself  loose  on  mimbers 
of  the  King's  own  household. 
All  the  same,  if  he  was  to  clane 
up  Ireland,  Druids,  snakes  an* 
all,  'twas  important  to  begin 
by  convertin*  the  King.  So  he  was  goin' 
easy  like,  wan  day  miltin'  Laeghaire  to  tears 
with  his  iloquence,  an*  alas!  the  nixt  day 
findin'  the  King  bowin'  down  to  the  great 
gold  an1  silver  idol,  Cromm  Cruach,  which 
stood  on  the  plain  near  Tara  surrounded  by 
twilve  smaller  idols  of  brass  an'  tin.  'Twas 


WURRA-WURRA 


a  case  of  Cromm  Cruach  against  Patrick  an* 
the  Four  Gospils  with  the  odds  even. 

Wan  thing  was  plain,  Cromm  Cruach  the 
big  idol,  an*  all  the  little  idols  must  go.  So 
wan  day,  in  the  prisence  of  King  Laeghaire 
an'  all  his  household  an'  a  great  multitude 
of  the  people,  Patrick  raised  his  staff  before 
Cromm  Cruach,  an*  in  the  twinklin'  of  an 
eye  the  big  idol  an*  all  the  little  idols  sank 
into  the  plain  up  to  their  necks.  'Twas  a 
miracle  the  like  of  which  had  niver  been 
seen  in  Ireland.  An'  King  Laeghaire,  seein' 
that  all  the  spells  of  his  Druid  magicians 
could  not  raise  up  Cromm  Cruach  again, 
nor  even  the  smallest  of  the  little  idols,  be- 
came a  Christian  on  the  spot. 

Observin'  the  same,  old  Lochru  the  wizard 
fell  to  ragin'  an'  tearin'  out  his  long  whiskers 

12 


k 

^^w, 


Patrick  casting  down  Cromm  Cntach  and  the  twelve  smaller  idols 


WU  RRA-WURRA 


by  handfuls.  CapJait  an'  Lucat-Moel  were 
frothin'  at  the  mouth  because  of  their  fat 
jobs  gone  a-glimmerin'.  'Twas  a  great  day 
for  the  good  Patrick,  barrin'  the  prisint 
failure  of  the  multitude  to  follow  the  ex- 
ample of  the  King. 

Instead  of  fallin'  on  their  knees  to  receive 
the  blissin'  of  Patrick  as  he  stood  there  with 
Sechnall  his  bishop,  Ere  his  judge,  an'  Pres- 
biter  Bescna  his  chaplain,  all  in  their  church 
vestmints,  the  people  turned  their  faces  to 
the  West  as  wan  man,  beat  upon  their  brists 
an1  cried  out:  "O,  Wurra-Wurra!  "  In  their 
mixture  of  ancient  Irish  an'  Gaelic  (which 
was  the  common  speech  in  those  days),  three 
times  they  cried:  "O,  Wurra-Wurra!"  be- 
fore they  would  let  Patrick  bliss  an'  disperse 
thim. 

13 


WU  RRA-WU  RRA 


Now  there  was  in  Patrick's  train  Keth 
Mac  Maragh,  his  strong  man,  the  same  that 
carried  him  on  his  back  through  the  bogs 
an*  was  his  champion  whin  it  came  to  fightin' 
barbarians  who  would  not  accept  the  Gospil 
with  whole  heads.  Keth  was  moreover  a 
bit  of  a  shanachy,  or  story-teller,  in  his  way, 
with  a  head  full  of  the  old  tales  an'  histories 
set  down  in  the  Book  of  the  Dun  Cow, 
which  made  him  the  frind  of  ivery  small 
boy  wheriver  Patrick  carried  on  the  good 


W URRA-WURRA 


work.  So  whin  he  heard  the  multitude  cry 
out:  "O,  Wurra-Wurra ! "  at  the  downfall 
of  Cromm  Cruach,  Keth  was  disturbed  in 
his  mind.  Niver  before  had  he  heard  those 
words  of  lamentation  uttered  by  a  multitude 
all  in  spontaneous  accord.  Yet  in  the 
mouths  of  sorrowin'  girls  forsaken  by  their 
lovers,  an'  old  women  at  a  wake  or  grievin' 
over  sheep  with  the  foot-rot,  they  were 
words  as  familiar  in  Patrick's  time  as  they 
are  to  this  day. 


WURRA-WURRA 


But  the  thing  that 
most  disturbed  the 
mind  of  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  was  the  sight 
of  Finola  of  the  White 
Shoulder,  wan  of  Pat- 
rick's three  embroider- 
esses — which  means  a 
Christian  mimber  of 
Patrick's  own  house- 
hold— turnin'  her  pretty 
face  to  the  West  with 
the  multitude  an'  joinin' 
in  the  cry  of  "Wurra- 
Wurra!"  'Twas  sure 
a  haythin  act,  an'  as 
Keth  had  been  for  a 
long  time  swate  on  this 

16 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


same  Finola,  findin'  her  white 
shoulder  a  plisant  place  to  rist  his 
head  on,  he  wint  speedily  an'  taxed 
her  with  it. 

But  Finola  only  hung  her  pretty 
head  an*  was  silent. 

"Finola,"  says  Keth,  "ye  ought 
to  be  ashamed  of  yoursilf,  you  a 
mimber  of  the  good  Patrick's 
household  an'  a  'broiderer  of  the 
sacred  vestmints." 

Niver  a  word  answered  Finola, 
but  only  hung  her  head  the  lower. 

Then  said  Keth  Mac  Maragh 
with  a  keen  look  at  the  girl : 

"  Finola,  'tis  yoursilf  has  told  the 
truth  though  not  a  word  has  passed 
your  lips.     Cromm  Cruach,  which- 
17 


WU  REA-WU  ERA 


our  good  Patrick  has  over- 
thrown, was  not  the  only 
great  false  god  in  Ireland." 

Now  the  girl  appeared 
startled,  but  her  head  still 
drooped  an*  she  answered 
neither  yes  nor  no.  With  a 
smile  half  hid  by  the  hair  on 
his  lip,  Keth  spoke  sternly 
to  her: 

"Finola,  I  have  it  from 
your  own  lips  that  you  came 
to  Patrick  at  Tara  from  your 
people  over  in  the  West 
country.  'Tis  over  in  the 
West  stands  another  great 
idol,  an*  the  name  of  it  is 
Wurra-Wurra." 

18 


WURRA-WURRA 


At  these  words  Finola 
began  trimbling  violently, 
though  she  spoke  no  word, 
an'  her  head  still  drooped. 
Keth  Mac  Maragh  showed 
the  girl  no  mercy. 

"'Tis  in  my  mind,  Fin- 
ola," he  said,  "to  make 
a  journey  over  into  the 
West  country,  an'  find  this 
heathen  god,  Wurra-Wurra, 
an*  cast  him  down  even  as 
Patrick  cast  down  Cromm 
Cruach." 

Now  the   girl   lifted   her 

head  and  spoke  up  quickly: 

"But  you  are  not  in  orders, 

Keth,  an'  have  no  Bishop's 

•  19 


WURRA-WU  ERA 


staff  to  raise  against  this  idol— if  so  there  be 


one." 


"Tis  true  I  have  no  Bishop's  staff,"  said 
he,  "nor  do  I  nade  wan.  I  have  me  hand- 
stone.  I  have  me  handstone,  the  same  that 
did  for  Mace  Cairthinn,  mind  ye,  Finola. 
An'  'tis  in  me  mind  that  the  handstone  that 
spilled  the  brains  of  the  King's  strong  man 
is  enough  to  bash  the  countenance  of  a 
haythin  idol." 

And  he  took  the  stone  out  of  his  shield  to 
gaze  on  its  fine  shape  and  feel  the  weight  of  it. 

'Twas  a  smaller  wan,"  he  said,  "a  mere 
stone  from  the  brook  with  no  virtue  whativer, 
that  David  sunk  into  the  forehead  of  Goliath." 

"Is  it  the  same,"  whispered  Finola  with 
awe  in  her  eyes,  "that  gave  ye  the  triumph 
over  Mace  Cairthinn?" 


Keth,  Patrick's  Strong  Man,  describing  to  Finola  the  virtues 
of  his  handstone 


WURRA-WURRA 


"'Tis  a  better  wan,"  spoke  up  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  proudly.  "  'Tis  of  fresh-slaked  lime 
mixed  with  those  same  brains  of  the  King's 
strong  man  that  I  spilled  with  the  old  wan 
—mixed  with  Mace  Cairthinn's  own  brains 
an*  dried  in  the  sun  till  it  has  the  hardness 
of  flint  an'  the  toughness  of  oak.  Besides— 
mark  this,  Finola— 'tis  a  true  handstone  with 
all  the  virtues  of  me  own  Red  Branch  Knight- 
hood. An'  who  can  throw  it  fairer  or 
swifter  than  Keth  Mac  Maragh?" 

At  these  words  Finola  turned  strangely 
pale.  Prisently  she  threw  her  arms  about 
the  neck  of  Keth  an'  besought  him  not  to 
journey  off  into  that  wild  West  country. 

"Keth,  darlin',"  said  she,  "'tis  the  coun- 
try of  the  Badb  an'  all  the  Dedannan  furies, 
where  the  terrible  Banshees  are  only  the 

21 


WURRA-WURRA 


least  of  the  bad  fairies.  They 
will  have  your  body  an'  youi 
soul."  An*  then  she  whispered: 
"Stay  with  Finola.  She  nades 
ye,  an'— an*  soon  she'll  nade  ye 
sore!" 

Now  Keth  was  touched  with  the  tears  of 
Finola,  but  he  was  an  obstinate  man  an'  his 
mind  was  made  up  to  have  it  for  his  own 
great  triumph  and  credit  with  Patrick,  the 
castin'  down  of  Wurra- 
Wurra.  'Twas  true  also 
that  he  had  become  a  trifle 
weary  of  the  white  arms  of 
Finola  forever  draggin' 
about  his  neck.  So  he 
threw  them  off  gintly, 
lavin'  her  there  on  the 


22 


WURRA-WURRA 


ground  half  dead  with  grievin', 
an*  wint  straight  to  Patrick  for 
lave  to  go  on  a  journey  on  business 
of  his  own. 

The  good  Patrick,  bein'  easy  in 
his  mind  an1  cheerful  now  that  Cromm 
Cruach  was  done  for,  gave  Keth  his  lave 
an'  a  blissin' ;  an*  lest  Finola's  arms  should 
drag  at  his  neck  again,  he  did  not  delay, 
but  took  his  shield  an'  his  handstone  an* 
was  off  on  his  long  legs 
for  the  West  country. 

Indade,  'twas  well  he 
did  not  loiter,  for  the  old 
wizard  Lochru  had  already 
got  wind  of  his  interprise 
an'  was  brewin'  his  most 
divilish  spells  against  him. 
23 


WURRA-WURRA 


Caplaitwas  in  the  same 
business.  'Twas  a  close 
call  for  Keth  Mac 
Maragh,  for  between 
thim  these  two  howlin' 
old  wizards  bossed  all 
the  bad  fairies  an'  de- 
mons an'  reptiles  in 
Ireland. 

All  this,  mind  ye,  was 
before  Patrick  had  got 
ready  to  attind  to  the 
snakes.  The  land  was 
full  of  thim.  As  for 
fairies,  good  an'  bad, 
at  the  time  whin  the 
good  Patrick  landed  at 
Wicklow  they  were 
24 


WUERA-WUEEA 


thicker  than  the  people— which  is  worth 
raymimberin',  for  there  were  tin  times  as 
many  Irishmin  in  Ireland  then  than  iver  has 
been  since.  In  those  days  'twas  a  case  of 
Ireland  for  the  Irish,  with  the  rist  of  the 
world  lookin'  on  in  envy  an'  covetousness, 
but  takin'  care  to  kape  their  hands  off  to 
save  their  heads. 

There  was  no  nade  for  Keth  to  carry  meat 
or   drink— which   was    another    fine    thing 


WURRA-WURRA 


about  Ireland  in  those  days.  At  ivery  cross- 
roads was  an  inn  maintained  at  the  public 
expinse,  for  the  intertainmint  of  travellers 
without  money  an'  without  price,  an*  the 
pot  always  a-bilin'  day  an'  night.  'Twas  the 
shanachies  an'  poets  who  travelled  about 
thicker  than  thieves,  singin'  their  songs  an' 
tellin'  their  tales  at  the  courts  of  the  kings, 
that  were  the  cause  of  all  this  hospitality,  for 


WURRA-WURRA 


these  gentry  put  on  even  more  airs  in  those 
days  than  they  do  now,  havin'  free  graft 
iverywhere,  so  eager  were  the  people  to  hear 
all  the  news  an*  the  romances. 

'Tis  already  towld  how  Keth  was  a  bit  of 
a  shanachy  himsilf,  an*  well  versed  in  all  the 
wizardry  of  Patrick's  Druid  inemies.  'Twas 
a  full  grown  man's  job,  by  this  token,  that 


27 


WURR A- WURR  A 


old  Lochru  took  on  himsilf 
in  layin'  his  plans  to  save 
Wurra-Wurra  from  the 
vi'lint  hands  of  Patrick's 
strong  man.  An*  'twill  iver 
be  to  the  credit  of  Lochru's 
divilish  subtlety  that  he  so 
near  finished  for  poor  Keth 
by  transformin'  himsilf  into 
a  false  shanachy  an'  tacklin' 
the  lad  on  his  soft  side. 

Through  County  Armagh 
an'  well  into  Fermanagh 
Keth  Mac  Maragh  passed 
safely,  livin'  free  on  the  fat 
of  the  land  an'  kapin'  an 
eye  opin  for  signs  of  the  old 
idol  Wurra-Wurra.  'Tis 
28 


WURRA-WURRA 


true  that  wance  Lochru  tried  to  beguile  him 
with  a  venomous  banshee  in  the  guise  of  a 
beautiful  maiden  all  smiles  an*  improper  al- 
luremints ;  but  Finola's  white  shoulder  was 
still  so  fresh  in  his  mind  that  he  only 
laughed  an'  bid  her  the  time  of  day  an1 
passed  on  his  way. 

Wance,  too,  Lochru  sint  a  swarm  of 
sheevras— which  are  the  most  impish  of  all 
the  bad  fairies— with  orders 
to  choke  Keth  to  death  on 
salmon  bones  as  he  ate  his 
avenin'  meal ;  but  'twas  all  in 
vain,  for  Keth  was  wise  an' 
kept  his  fingers  crossed. 

Havin'  seen  the  failure  of 
these    poor    experimints, 
Lochru  changed  his  face  out 
29 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


of  all  raysimblance  to  him- 
silf,  an*  took  a  small  Irish 
harp  an'  wint  an'  sat  on  a 
hillside  among  the  sham- 
rocks close  beside  the  broad 
road  along  which  he  knew 
Keth  was  soon  to  pass. 
This  was  his  preparation  for 
the  grand  schame  that  was 
to  hocus-pocus  the  idol- 
hunting  strong  man  for  good 
an'  all. 

Prisintly,  as  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  hove  in  sight,  all 
tired  and  dusty  from  a  hard 
day  of  travel,  Lochru,  in  his 
guise  of  an  old  an'  decrepit 
shanachy,  twanged  the 
30 


WURRA-WURRA 


strings  of  his  harp  an*  began  to  sing  of  past 
glories  whin  he  was  royal  shanachy  at  Tara 
with  four  an1  twinty  pupils  all  sheddin'  lustre 
on  his  performance.  But  whin  Keth  came 
abrist  of  him  on  the  road  he  lifted  his  voice 
in  a  sort  of  refrain,  the  substince  of  which 
caused  Patrick's  strong  man  to  prick  up  his 
ears  an'  pinch  himsilf  to  be  sure  he  was 
indade  awake.  For  this  was  the  unexpicted 
purport  of  Lochru's  refrain: 

"  Hail  the  dawn  of  Erin's  Golden  Age, 
Redeemed  from  Druids'  evil  signs  and  spells. 
Rejoice  at  ancient  idols  overthrown 
And  demons  banished  to  their  flames  below. 
Cromm  Cruach's  head  doth  bow  to  Patrick's  power; 
Great  Laeghaire  takes  the  Gospel  to  his  heart; 
No  more  shall  idols  lure  the  simple  mind— 
E'en  Wurra-Wurra's  fatal  hour  has  struck. 

Hail  Erin's  Golden  Age, 

Hail  Patrick  and  the  Blissed  Word ! " 

31 


WURRA-WURRA 


An'  no  sooner  had  the  schamin'  Lochru 
in  his  disguise  exprissed  these  fine  Christian 
sintimints  than  Keth  fell  for  him.  Yis, 
Keth  Mac  Maragh  fell  for  him  complately— 
swallowin*  bait,  hook,  line  an1  all. 

Old  Lochru,  pretindin'  not  to  observe  the 
prisince  of  the  lad,  was  about  to  reel  off  a 
few  more  yards  of  his  song,  but  Keth  fell 
on  his  neck,  sayin' : 

"  Hiven's  blessin's  rist  on  ye,  old  man; 
for  'tis  indade  true,  as  ye've  said,  that 
Wurra-Wurra's  fatal  hour  has  struck. 
Tell  me  where  to  look  for  the  owld  idol 
that  I  may  bash  his  face  with  me  hand- 
stone." 

"  Do  me  eyes  desayve  me?"  said  the  false 
shanachy,  returnin'  Keth's  embrace.  "No; 
sure  'tis  the  good  Patrick's  strong  man  that 
32 


WURRA-WURRA 


stands  before  me— Keth  Mac  Maragh,  who, 
wan  day,  will  be  a  bishop." 

"Tis  the  same,"  said  Keth,  swellin'  with 
pride  at  the  wizard's  prophecy— for  that  was 
Keth's  great  saycrit  ambition,  to  become  a 
bishop.  An'  now  Lochru  had  him  hard  an* 
fast.  No  suspicion  of  the  false  shanachy  could 
have  been  beaten  into  his  head  with  an  axe. 

"But  the  time  passes,"  said  Keth;  "show 
me  the  road  to  Wurra-Wurra,  that  I  may 
speedily  earn  me  bishop's  staff." 

Lochru  was  playin'  with  the  lad  as  a  cat 
plays  with  a  mouse.  "  Have  ye  no  fear  of  the 
druid wizards? "he said.  "Canyecircumvint 
the  spells  of  Lochru?  Are  ye  after  thinkin' 
that  Lucat-Moel  an'  Caplait  will  let  ye  come 
at  Wurra-Wurra  to  do  the  idol  harm?" 

"  Divil   take   the    wizards    an'    all    their 

33 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


spells,"  answered  Keth.  "Sure,  'tis  Keth 
Mac  Maragh,  champion  strong  man  an'  as 
good  a  scholar  as  the  bist  of  thim,  that  has 
all  their  spells  at  his  finger-ends.  So  set  me 
on  the  road  to  Wurra-Wurra." 

"  Be  it  so/'  said  Lochru.  "  I  persayve  that 
ye're  already  a  bishop,  savin*  the  ordination. 
'Tis  well.  Give  heed  to  me  words,  for  'tis 
growin'  dark  an'  ye  must  travil  the  night 
through  to  escape  the  sure  destruction  which 
Lochru  has  prepared  for  ye. 


34 


WURRA-WURRA 


"  Priss  on  your  prisint  way, 
lad,  till  ye've  rached  the  top 
of  the  third  wooded  ridge. 
There  ye'll  see  below  ye  in 
the  moonlight  the  glimmerin1 
surface  of  a  great  bog,  an* 
on  the  farther  side  of  the 
same  an  owld  round  tower  to 
the  right,  an'  Concobar  Mac 
Nessa's  ruined  castle  to  the 
lift.  Go  straight  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  bog  an'  suddenly 
ye'll  see  that  a  fine,  hard  road 
leads  across  it.  Cross  the 
bog  without  fear.  'Tis  a 
short  cut  to  Wurra-Wurra 
over  beyond  the  round  tower, 
an'  'twill  lave  ye  safe  from 

35 


WUEE A-WUERA 


Lochru  an*  all  his  demon  immissaries. 
Have  ye  me  directions  fixed  clear  in  your 
mind,  lad?  " 

"  Yis,"  said  Keth.  "  An*  may  the  blissin's 
of  Patrick  an'  all  the  saints  rest  on  your 
white  head,  vinerable  owld  man,  for,  thanks 
to  you,  Wurra-Wurra  is  already  as  good  as 
done  for." 

The  nixt  minute  Keth's  legs  were  leadin' 
him  straight  into  the  trap  so  cunningly  set 
for  him,  an*  old  Lochru,  raysumin'  his  own 
face  an'  form,  was  chucklin'  into  his  long 
whiskers. 

Now  whin  Keth  came  to  the  top  of  the 
third  ridge  an'  looked  down  upon  the  great 
bog,  'twas  the  darkest  hour  of  the  night, 
whin  the  bad  fairies  are  up  to  their  worst 

36 


WURRA-WURRA 


divilmint,  an'  the  dangerous  elves  an'  demons 
attind  to  the  summons  of  their  masters,  the 
Druid  wizards.  From  the  top  of  the  ridge 
there  was  no  sign  of  any  road  across  the 
bog;  but  Keth,  full  of  foolish  faith  in  the 
words  of  the  false  shanachy,  stopped  only  to 
draw  a  full  breath,  an'  was  off  down  the 
slope  at  his  top  speed. 

An'  sure  enough,  as  he  neared  the  bog's 
edge,  he  saw  before  him  a  straight,  hard 
road  gleamin'  in  the  moonlight  an'  stretchin' 
clear  an'  fair  to  the  hill-slope  on  the  farther 
side.  With  a  shout  of  triumph,  Keth  laped 
forward  an'  ran  swiftly  out  upon  the  road 
over  the  bog.  An'  thin,  all  at  wance,  there 
was  no  more  road,  an'  he  found  himsilf 
flounderin'  up  to  his  arm-pits  in  the  quaking 
mud  of  the  stickiest  bog  in  Ireland. 

37 


WURRA-WURRA 


An'  while  he  floundered  he  heard  a  peal 
of  faymiliar,  divilish  laughter  from  the  bog's 
edge.  There  stood  old  Lochru,  holdin'  his 
sides  an'  waggin'  his  head— an'  thin,  in  a 
flash,  Keth  saw  it  all,  how  he  had  been 
hocus-pocussed  by  a  false  shanachy  who  was 
none  other  than  Lochru  himsilf. 

'Twas  useless  to  waste  breath  lamintin', 
or  hurlin'  hard  names  at  Lochru ;  Keth  saw 
that  he  had  nade  of  it  all  to  extricate  himsilf 
from  the  bog— which  he  would  have  done 
right  speedily  but  for  the  trump  card  the  old 
wizard  played  thin  an'  there. 

All  at  wance  Keth  found  himsilf  sur- 
rounded by  a  swarm  of  meisi — which  are  the 
most  dreadful  phantoms  that  inhabit  the 
World  of  Darkness— summoned  by  the  in- 
cantations of  Lochru.  The  sight  of  thim 
38 


Ketlt  Mac  Men  ayh  in  tfi*  bog,  tenet  by  the  wizard  xpeOs  of  Loctiru 


WURRA-WURRA 


froze  Keth's  blood  in  his  veins.  For  a  time, 
so  full  of  terror  they  filled  him,  he  could 
nayther  speak  nor  move.  Manewhile,  ivery 
minute  the  bog  sucked  him  down  deeper. 

Sure  it  would  have  been  all  over  with 
Keth  Mac  Maragh  if,  suddenly,  there  had 
not  appeared  before  him  a  vision  of  Patrick, 
fearless  in  his  great  faith,  casting  down 
Cromm  Cruach  in  the  very  prisince  of  King 
Laeghaire  an'  the  most  powerful  of  the  Druid 
wizards.  The  vision  gave  him  strength  to 
raise  his  voice  to  the  glory  of  God  an'  de- 
fiance of  the  divil,  so  that  he  no  longer 
quaked  with  paralizin'  fear  of  the  phantoms, 
an'  was  near  strugglin'  out  of  the  bog. 

Thin  it  was  that  Lochru  summoned 
Banba,  queen  of  the  Dedannan  furies,  an' 
with  her  diabolical  aid  caused  Keth  to  be 

39 


WURRA-WURRA 


set  upon  by  sheevras,  leprechauns  an'  all 
manner  of  demoniac  reptiles.  All  the  bog 
about  him  was  covered  with  thim,  an'  all  the 
air  murmured  and  shrieked  with  the  flapping 
of  demon  wings.  Pookas  came  arid  sat 
upon  his  shoulders  to  priss  him  down  into 
the  mire,  while  the  dread  Badb,  in  the  guise 
of  a  loathsome  hag  with  the  wings  of  a  great 
bat,  shut  the  air  from  his  nostrils  and  clawed 
at  his  throat. 

Yet  always,  at  what  seemed  the  fatal  mo- 
mint,  the  voice  of  Keth,  raised  in  praise  of 
God  an'  bowld  defiance  of  the  divil,  so 
weakened  the  demoniac  powers  that  old 
Lochru,  raging  in  vain,  saw  the  dawn  ap- 
proaching an'  his  triumph  unaccomplished. 

Indade,  the  triumph  was  Keth's,  for,  by 
the  blissin'  of  heaven,  he  hild  out.  In  fear 
40 


WURRA-WURRA 


of  the  blastin'  rays  of  the  sun,  all  at  wance 
his  demon  inemies  disappeared  with  shrieks 
of  baffled  vengeance,  an'  old  Lochru  with 
thim.  An'  soon  Keth,  still  praisin'  God  an* 
defyin'  the  divil,  was  out  of  the  bog  an* 
dryin'  himsilf  in  the  sun. 

Whin  he  was  dry  an'  somewhat  risted  an' 
raycuperated  after  the  long  agonies  of  that 
night,  he  retraced  his  steps  to  the  road 
where  Lochru  had  beguiled  him.  Wan  day 
an'  a  night  he  spint  at  an  inn  for  food  an' 
slape,  while  the  maids  claned  the  bog  slime 
from  his  raimint,  an'  thin  proceeded  on  his 
way  into  the  West. 

Not  until  he  was  out  of  Fermanagh  an' 
well  into  Roscommon  did  he  come  upon 
any  clue  to  the  whereabouts  of  Wurra-Wurra. 
41 


WURRA-WURRA 


'Twas  truly  strange  that  the  right  direction 
should  come  from  another  shanachy— but  a 
rale  wan  this  time,  none  other  than  the  great 
Dubthach  Mac  na  Lugair,  royal  poet  at  the 
court  of  the  King  of  Connaught. 

Keth  came  upon  Dubthach  as  the  re- 
nowned shanachy  was  fastin'  on  a  false  poet 
who  owed  him  a  debt  for  makin'  up  some 
rhymes  which  the  false  poet  recited  about 
the  country  as  his  own  divine  afflatus.  This 
fakir  was  a  failure  at  bog-drainin'  named 
Fergus,  an'  havin'  neglected  to  pay  for  the 
rhymes  he  couldn't  make  up  for  himself  he 
was  shut  up  in  his  house  while  Dubthach 
sat  before  his  door,  neither  of  thim  eatin' 
nor  drinkin',  as  the  custom  was,  till  the 
matter  was  settled.  Dubthach  was  so  pale 
an'  lean  from  four  days  an'  nights  of  fastin' 
42 


WU RRA-WURRA 


that  his  tunic  was  all  in  wrinkles 
about  his  shoulders.  Fergus' 
plight  was  worse  yet,  for  as  he 
sat  by  his  open  window  with 
his  head  in  his  hand  he  seemed  only  half 
alive0  Still  ivery  time  Dubthach  braced  up 
an1  called  on  him  to  pay  the  debt  he  came 
back  with  a  sharp  answer. 

'Tis  four  geese  an'  a  sheep  ye  owe  me," 
said  Dubthach,  as  Keth  came  up. 

"  Ye're  a  liar.  'Tis  three  geese  an'  a  pig," 
said  Fergus. 

11  The  law  is  with  me,  I'll  starve  the  heart 
out  of  ye,"  said  Dubthach. 

"  Yer  rhymes  were  no  good,  they  stuck  in 
me  throat,"  said  Fergus.  "  But  I'll  pay  ye 
the  three  geese  an'  the  pig — or  see  yer  bones 
litterin'  me  doorstep." 

43 


WU  RRA-WURRA 


Right  here  Keth  stepped  in,  havin'  great 
wisdom  in  such  matters.  After  hearin'  both 
sides  he  recited  to  'em  the  Brehon  law,  an' 
then  he  said : 

14  The  both  of  ye  are  in  the  wrong.  Fer- 
gus, what  ye  owe  to  Dubthach  is  not  four 
geese  an'  a  sheep,  but  four  geese  an'  a  pig." 

Hearin'  this  wise  judgmint,  Dubthach  an' 
Fergus  scowled  fiercely  at  each  other;  but 
'twas  plain  their  jaws  were  achin'  to  come 
together  on  a  flitch  o'  bacon,  an'  so  Dub- 
thach spoke  up: 

"Niver  shall  it  be  told  of  me,"  he  said, 
"that  I  refused  to  mate  an  inemy  halfway. 
Fergus,  ye  omadhune,  open  the  door  of 
your  hovel  an'  let  out  the  four  geese  an'  the 

pig." 

Which  the  same  Fergus  did,  with  a  string 

44 


^T«<A  rec«««  <A«  Brehon  Law  to  Dubthach  Mac  na  Lugair  and  his  debtw 


WUEEA-WURRA 


tied  to  the  leg  of  each  of  'em  for  Dubthach 
to  drive  'em  home  with.  An'  Dubthach, 
with  the  pig  an'  the  four  geese  safe  in  hand, 
turned  an'  howled  back  at  Fergus: 

"As  I'm  lavin'  your  dirty  doorstep,  ye 
double-faced  falsifier,  wan  word  of  advice: 
Lave  off  graftin'  on  your  betters  an'  get 
back  to  your  bog-drainin'."  To  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  who  walked  beside  him  he  said: 

"  Niver  mintion  it  to  Fergus,  but  ye've 
done  me  a  service  this  day.  Faith,  I  was 
that  far  gone  with  the  fast  I  could  feel 
me  backbone  through  me  stomach!  An' 
now  me  good  frind  tell  me  how  I  can 
square  the  account  between  the  two  of  us. 
Will  ye  take  two  geese,  or  the  pig?" 

Now,  bein'  well  on  into  the  West  country, 
with  maybe  the  great  god  Wurra-Wurra  just 

45 


WU EEA-WUEEA 


around  the  turn  of  the  nixt  peat  bog,  Keth 
felt  it  was  a  time  to  exercise  discretion,  for 
the  lad  was  as  wise  an'  cunning  as  he  was 
strong  an'  mighty  at  heavin'  the  handstone. 
So  he  reflected  and  made  this  answer  to 
Dubthach: 

"  Dubthach  Mac  na  Lugair,"  he  said,  "the 
service  ye  say  I've  the  honor  of  renderin'  ye 
was  no  more  than  would  be  the  duty  of  any 
man  who  knew  the  law.  Ye  owe  me  nothin'. 
But  'tis  in  me  mind  that  ye  could  give  me  a 
bit  of  advice  on  a  private  matter,  an'  let  it 
go  no  further?" 


46 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U  E  R  A 


"On  me  honor  as  a  royal  shan- 
achy,"  said  Dubthach.  "Good 
frind,  name  your  trouble." 

"Dubthach,"  said  Keth,  with 
his  hand  beside  his  mouth  an*  his 
mouth  to  the  poet's  ear,  "  Dub- 
thach, I've  a  great  weight  on  me 
mind  an'  me  heart.  The  heft  of 
it  is  draggin'  me  down  in  the  dirt. 
Night  an'  day  I'm  sorrowin'  an* 
grievin'  the  heart  out  of  me.  'Tis 
turnin'  me  hair  an'  loosenin'  me 
teeth.  It  turns  me  food  bitter  in 
me  mouth  an'  the  best  metheglin 
sour  in  me  throat.  I  can  nayther 
slape  nor  stay  awake.  Unless  I 
find  relafe,  in  another  day  the 
wits  will  be  clane  gone  out  of  me. 

47 


WURRA-WURRA 


"  Iverything  I've  tried,  an'  no  use  at  all  at 
all.  Sure  I've  been  atin'  the  cresses  an' 
drinkin'  the  crazy  people's  water  of  Tober- 
nagalt  an'  Stroove  Bran,  but  divil  the  bit  of 
forgetfulness  of  me  trouble  did  it  bring  me. 
Wan  more  day,  good  Dubthach,  an'  I'll  be 
a  foolish,  ravin'  loon  with  all  this  sore  grafe 
an'  worry" 

"Hold,  me  frind,  'tis  enough,"  broke  in 
Dubthach.  "  An'  ye've  struck  the  right  road 
at  last.  By  nightfall  ye '11  rache  the  nixt 
valley.  'Tis  called  Glanngalt,  mind  ye 
(rnanin'  in  the  Gaelic  the  glen  of  the  gaits, 
or  loonatics),  an'  at  the  bottom  of  the  same 
ye'll  come  to  the  grotto  of  Wurra-Wurra, 
our  blissed  God  of  Peaceful  Souls.  Ye've 
only  to  make  the  three  prostrations  an' 
whisper  your  troubles  into  the  blissed  ear  of 
48 


Imbthach,  the  Boyal  Shanachy,  driving  home  the  price  of  his  poems 


WURRA-WURRA 


Wurra-Wurra  an'  they'll  all  fall 
from  ye,  lavin'  ye  clane  an' 
paceful  an'  in  your  right 
mind." 

At  these  words  Keth  fell  on 
his  knees  an'  kissed  the  hand 
of  Dubthach  that  was  not  busy 
with  the  geese  an'  the  pig, 
showin'  the  joy  an'  gratitude 
he  sacretly  felt  for  bein'  put 
on  the  right  track  to  come  up 
with  an'  bash  the  face  of  this 
haythin  idol  Wurra-Wurra. 
Then  he  rose  an'  said: 

"Wan  thing  more,  good 
Dubthach.  Will  ye  find  me  a 
guide  down  Glanngalt  to  the 
grotto  of  Wurra-Wurra?" 

49 


WURRA-WVEEA 


"  Ye'll  find  a  hundred  of  your  own  choice/' 
said  Dubthach.  "Ye've  only  to  enter  the 
valley  an*  goin'  down  on  wan  side  ye'll  see 
a  string  of  wild-eyed,  sorrowin'  loonatics 
like  yersilf— which  ye've  but  to  join— an' 
comin'  up  on  the  other  side  ye'll  see  another 
string  dancin'  an'  singin'  with  joy  because 
of  the  worries  they  lift  in  the  grotto  behind 
thim.  Stick  to  the  loonatics  goin'  down, 
an'  on  the  word  of  Dubthach  ye'll  come 
back  dancin'  an'  singin'  with  the  happy  wans." 


WURRA-WURRA 


So  now  Keth  Mac  Maragh  fell  on  the 
neck  of  Dubthach  Mac  na  Lugair  an1  em- 
braced him,  an*  thin  wint  on  his  way  at  so 
swift  a  gait  that  the  early  avenin'  brought 
him  safe  into  Glanngalt.  'Twas  as  Dub- 
thach had  said:  there  was  the  string  of 
sorrowin'  min  and  women  goin'  down  on 
the  wan  side  an'  the  happy  dancin'  people 
comin'  up  on  the  other.  An*  Keth  wint 
with  the  loonatics,  an'  by  dark  they  came  to 
the  grotto  of  Wurra-Wurra  that  was  to  be 


WUREA-WUEEA 


seen  from  afar  by  the  light  of  torches  that 
flamed  all  about  it. 

Sure  it  was  a  grand  sight— barrin'  the  hay- 
thin  purpose  of  it  all.  The  poor  loonatics 
stopped  their  screechin'  from  the  moment 
the  torches  revealed  to  thim  the  smilin'  face 
of  the  idol,  which  shone  from  out  the  arch 
of  the  grotto  entrance  like  the  moon  whin 
'tis  full  at  harvest  time.  An'  prisintly  the 
first  of  the  loonatics  to  prostrate  thimsilves 
at  the  feet  of  Wurra-Wurra  were  passin' 


Far  down  Glanngalt  Keth  sees  the  torches  flaming  about  the 
Grotto  of  Wurra-Wurra 


W  U  R  K  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


over  to  the  other  side,  singin'  an'  dancin', 
with  niver  a  fear  nor  a  care  to  worry  thim. 

Before  dawn  'twas  the  same  with  the 
whole  bunch.  With  the  cobwebs  brushed 
clane  out  of  the  brains  of  thim,  they  were 
on  their  way  rejoicin',  lavin'  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  alone  before  the  idol,  fingerin'  his 
handstone  an'  wonderin'  what  manner  of 
spell  was  on  him. 

For  three  times  Keth  had  raised  his  hand 
to  hurl  the  stone,  and  could  not.  The  spirit 


53 


WURRA-WURRA 


was  with  him,  but  the  flesh  was  not.  The 
strength  had  gone  out  of  his  arm  intirely, 
an*  the  fingers  that  held  the  handstone  had 
no  more  grip  in  thim  than  the  little  white 
wans  of  Finola. 

"Tis  Lucat-Moel,  or  old  Lochru,  divil 
take  him!"  said  Keth  to  himself. 

He  gazed  about  in  ivery  direction,  but 
niver  a  wizard  nor  any  of  their  bad  fairy 
hilpers  was  about  the  premises.  Yet  the 
arm  that  hild  the  handstone  still  hung  limp 
at  his  side,  an'  his  trimblin'  fingers  could 
scarce  bear  the  weight  of  it. 


WURRA-WURRA 


Now  it  began  to  pinetrate  the  mind  of 
Keth  Mac  Maragh  that  while  his  arm  was 
as  heavy  as  lead,  the  soul  within  him  was 
lighter  than  for  many  a  day.  A  horrible 
fear  rose  within  him  that  the  Four  Gospils 
had  lost  their  grip  on  him,  an*  it  was  the  same 
with  him  as  with  the  rist  of  the  loonatics ! 
With  the  sweat  standin'  on  his  brow,  he 
said  a  Latin  prayer,  an*  thin  muttered  to 
himsilf : 

"I  will  put  a  curse  on  the  haythin  idol. 
I  will  curse  this  Wurra-Wurra  as  niver  hay- 
thin  idol  was  cursed  before,  so  that  his  face 


WURRA-WURRA 


will  grow  dull  with  fear  an*  the  strength  re- 
turn to  me  arm." 

An'  he  turned  to  curse  Wurra-Wurra. 
'Twas  now,  for  the  first  time,  he  saw  the 
opin  ears  of  the  idol  that  listened  day  an' 
night  for  the  gintlist  whisper  of  troubles  of 
man  or  woman,  to  take  the  same  on  himsilf 
—an'  thin  Keth  filt  the  full  power  of  him. 
The  curse  died  on  his  lips,  all  desire  of 
curses  wint  out  of  his  heart.  Keth  Mac 
Maragh,  Strong  Man  to  the  good  Patrick 
that  was  to  become  a  blissed  saint,  leaned 
upon  his  shield  an'  gazed  long  on  the  image 


WURRA-WURRA 


that  filled  the  grotto.  An'  while  he  gazed 
the  soul  of  him  drank  its  fill  of  peace  and 
forgetfulness  of  care. 

For  it  was  true  of  the  ancient  Irish  God 
of  Peaceful  Souls,  named  Wurra-Wurra,  that 
no  creature  of  woman  born  could  stand  be- 
fore him  an*  know  more  of  trouble  in  this 
world.  From  ivery  shoulder  he  took  off  the 
trouble  to  place  it  upon  its  own,  and  bear  it 
thinceforth  in  token  of  his  great  love  and 
compassion  for  all  with  minds  distrissed. 
There  was  no  nade  for  Keth  to  read  the  in- 
scription on  the  stone  which  was  the  idol's 


WURRA-WURRA 


seat— which,  indade,  he  could  not,  for  it  was 
in  the  most  ancient  Irish  characters.  'Twas 
Bishop  Ere,  the  same  who  was  Judge  in 
Patrick's  household  and  a  very  learned  man, 
who  afterward  put  it  into  Gaelic,  which, 
being  translated  into  English,  is  the  best  of 
all  mottoes  in  the  category,  namely: 

LET  WURRA  WORRY 
There  was  no  nade  for  Keth  Mac  Maragh 
to  read  this  inscription,  for  the  face  and 
figure  of  the  idol,  an*  his  wide  opin  ears 
foriver  listenin',  thimselves  told  the  whole 
story— not  only  that  it  was  his  business  to 
bear  all  the  worries  and  troubles  of  the 
world,  but  that  he  liked  the  job ! 

Indade,  yis.     Though  the  weight  of  the 
world's  worries  through  a  hundred  cinturies 
had  glued  the  stomach  of  him  to  his  thighs, 
58 


WURRA-WURRA 


an'  his  broad  chist  risted  on  his  stomach  so 
that  the  massy  shoulders  were  prissed  nearly 
down  to  the  region  of  his  navel,  while  the 
heft  of  the  troubles  showered  on  his  head 
had  crunched  it  down  into  his  bristbone— in 
spite  of  all  the  crushing  weight  of  worries 
upon  him  the  smile  he  wore  was  like  the 
noon  sun  bursting  through  after  a  tin  days' 
rain  in  April.  'Twas  that  same  smile  of 
Wurra-Wurra  that  chased  away  all  the  curses 
out  of  the  heart  of  Keth  Mac  Maragh  an1 


WURRA-WURRA 


brought    the  great  peace  to 
his  soul. 

Alas !  as  Keth  looked  upon 
the  idol,  Patrick  an'  all  his  glo- 
rious works  became  no  more 
than  a  faded  memory.  He 
filt  himself  ready  to  prostrate 
himsilf  before  Wurra-Wurra 
an'  whisper  into  the  ear  of  him 
his  last  small  worry  about  Fi- 
nola  of  the  White  Shoulder— 
upon  which  he  had  risted  his 
head  more  ardently  than  was 
good  for  his  ease  of  mind- 
whin  a  well-raymimbered  an' 
hated  voice  brought  him  sud- 
denly to  himsilf. 
H  "Back,  thou  sacriligious 


60 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U 


monster! "  said  the  voice,  an' 
Keth  knew  it  for  the  voice 
of  Lochru,  the  wizard. 

Indade,  the  wizard,  prancin' 
down  the  hillside  into  the 
valley,  frothin'  at  the  mouth 
an*  all  his  whiskers  flyin*  in 
the  mornin'  breeze,  was  only 
a  lape  or  two  from  the  mouth 
of  the  grotto. 

"Back!"  he  shrieked. 
"Back!  or  I'll  blast  ye  with 
the  spell  of  Banba!" 

'Twas  nothing  against  Keth 
Mac  Maragh  that  in  his  sur- 
prise he  should  stand  back  a 
few  paces  and  raise  his  shield, 
for  old  Lochru  in  a  rage  was 

61 


WURRA-WURRA 


a  sight  to  sind  children  into  spasms.  'Twas 
a  good  thing,  too,  for  the  hated  sight  of 
Lochru  brought  back  the  grateful  mimory 
of  Patrick,  an1  the  strength  to  his  arm,  so 
that  he  faced  the  wizard  boldly,  saying : 

"Get  thee  gone  thou  Geis  of  demon's 
spawn,  ere  I  spill  thy  rotten  brains  to  gain  a 
new  handstone  wherewith  to  destroy  thy 
demon  masters!  Irk  me  not,  as  I  have 
better  work  at  hand  than  to  bandy  words 
with  such  as  thou! " 

An',  raisin'  his  handstone  while  the 
strength  was  fresh  again  in  his  arm,  Keth 
Mac  Maragh  hurled  it  so  swift  and  so 
straight  that  the  idol's  face— barrin'  only  wan 
fine  ear— was  shattered  into  a  thousand 
pieces.  An*  Lochru,  seeing  that  Wurra- 
Wurra  was  no  more— a  headless  god  havin' 
62 


"<• 


\\ 


Tilt/I  his  migMy  handstone,  defying  Locft.ru,  Keth  shatters  the 
idol  Wurra-Wurra 


WURRA-WURRA 


no  further  virtue  in  the  Druid  philosophy— 
Lochru  ran  shriekin*  up  the  valley,  to  remain 
until  his  death  the  craziest  loonatic  in  Ireland. 

"'Tis  a  fine  job  well  done,"  raymarked 
Keth  to  himsilf  as  he  wint  and  raycovered 
his  handstone  in  the  grotto  from  among  the 
fragmints  that  were  wance  the  head  of 
Wurra-Wurra.  "An*  now  for  a  bit  of  sup 
an'  drink,  an*  a  fine  long  slape." 


WU  RRA-WURRA 


But  'twas  nayther  food  nor 
drink  nor  slape  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  was  to  get  that  day. 
For  he  had  returned  on  his  way  up  Glann- 
galt  no  more  than  the  distance  of  nine 
ridges  whin  he  was  stopped  by  a  runner 
comin'  down  the  valley  with  the  speed  of 
the  wind.  The  boy  bein'  breathless,  Keth 
was  the  first  to  spake: 

"If  'tis  to  the  King  of 
Connaught  ye  bear  your 
message," he  said,  "sure ye're 
off  your  road." 

"Keth  Mac  Maragh," 
panted  the  runner— who  was 
lithe  an*  slender,  with  round 
Ai     IMHf ->f      cheeks    an'    a    white    chin— 
/'••^      "has  the  day  come  so  soon 
64 


f'inola  runs  to  Keth  and  delivers  an  urgent  message  from  Patrick 


WURRA-WURRA 


whin  ye  forgit  the  face  of  your 
own  Finola?" 

"What!"  said  Keth  in  aston- 
ishment, "will  ye  tell  me  that 
your  haythin  heresies  have  so 
strong  a  howld  on  ye  that  ye've 
lift  the  household  an'  spiritual 
guidance  of  the  good  Patrick 
of  Armagh?" 

"Nay,"  said  Finola.  "Tis 
for  Patrick  sure  I'm  runnin',  an' 
the  message  is  to  yoursilf." 

"So!  'Twas  the  likes  of  Fi- 
nola that  gave  me  away ! "  And 
Keth  glowered  darkly  at  the 
maid. 

"Tell  me,  Keth,"  she  said 
in  anxious  tones,  "ye've  not 
65 


WURRA-WURRA 


done  it?    Ye've  not  bashed  the 
great  idol,  Wurra-Wurra?" 

Somethin'    towld    Keth    that 
'twould  be  as  well  for  him  to 
dissimble.     So  he    answered 
cunningly : 

"  Sure  the  pot-bellied  stone  haythin  sits  as 
firm  on  his  sate  as  iver  he  did." 

"O  Wurra-Wurra! "  said  Finola,  with 
hands  clasped  in  gratitude. 

"  Lave  off  your  heretical  supplications," 
said  Keth  harshly,  "an*  hand  over  me  mis- 
sage  from  Patrick." 

"'Tis   this,"    said    Finola,   givin'   him   a 


WURRA-WURRA 


tinder  look  from  her  eyes. 
"Another  bunch  of  poor  loon- 
atics  have  started  down  Glann- 
galt  to  lave  their  troubles  with 
Wurra-Wurra.  Patrick  follows 
with  his  household,  but  too  late  to  heal  thim 
with  the  spirit  of  the  Four  Gospils  before 
they  feel  the  spell  of  the  sacred  grotto.  So 
ye're  to  let  thim,  for  this  wance,  resayve 
their  easemint  from  Wurra-Wurra,  as  of 
old— for  sure,  Patrick  says,  the  great  idol  is 
an  instrumint  of  God,  not  yet  to  be  de- 
stroyed." 

"So  be  it,"  said  Keth,  dissimbling  again. 


WUEEA-WUERA 


"Go  you  back  to  Patrick  an* 
I  will  wait  for  ye  beside  the 
grotto." 

Finola  flung  hersilf  upon 
his  neck.  '  'Tis  like  the  owld 
swate  Keth,"  she  said.  "  Ah, 
Keth,  why  are  ye  not  always 
true  to  the  gintleness  an'  hilp- 
fulness  that  shines  in  your 
face  so  like  Wurra-Wurra's 
own?" 

Thin  she  kissed  him  and 
lift  him,  an*  Keth  wint  slowly 
back  to  the  grotto,  with  his 
chin  on  his  brist,  wonderin' 
how  he  was  to  restore  the 
idol's  broken  head  on  his 

68 


W  U  E  R  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


shoulders.  He  gathered  up 
the  pieces  an*  mixed  some 
clay  an1  tried  to  patch  thim 
together,  but  'twas  no  use — 
too  well  had  the  handstone 
done  its  work! 

An'  now  Keth  could  hear 
the  fresh  bunch  of  loonatics 
comin'  shriekin'  an*  moanin' 
down  the  valley.  'Twas  even 
a  worse  predicamint  he  was 
in,  for,  crowdin'  the  loonatics 
on  all  sides  were  scores  an1 
hundreds  of  maids  weepin' 
for  their  gallivantin'  swate- 
hearts,  an'  old  dames  la- 
mintin'  sheep  with  the  foot 
rot,  cows  with  calves  miscast 
69 


WURRA-WURRA 


an'  such  like  troubles  which  'twas  in  the 
minds  of  thim  to  shoulder  off  on  Wurra- 
Wurra. 

"Sure,  'tis  a  tight  place  I'm  in,"  thought 
Keth  Mac  Maragh.  "  The  loonatics,  an' 
the  maids,  an'  the  old  women  will  be  after 
bashin'  the  head  of  me  as  I  bashed  their 
haythin  idol.  True,  I*  have  me  handstone, 
but  what  is  wan  handstone  for  all  that  crazy 
bunch?" 

An'  then  suddenly  it  flashed  across  his 


WURR  A-WVRRA 


mind  about  what  Finola  had  said  of  his  face 
raysimblin'  that  of  Wurra-Wurra.  "Sure, 
'tis  only  the  fondness  of  her  foolish  little 
haythin  heart,"  thought  Keth.  But  as  'twas 
the  only  chance,  an*  the  first  of  the  loonatics 
bein'  now  close  to  the  grotto,  Keth  Mac 
Maragh  wint  behind  the  headless  idol  an' 
leaned  over  with  his  neck  in  the  hollow  be- 
tween the  shoulders  which  the  handstone 
had  cut  as  though  through  a  bog-cured 
cheese.  He  brought  his  chin  down  near  to 


WURRA-WURRA 


the  idol's  navel,  prissed  the  cheek  of  him 
against  the  opin  ear  that  remained  so  provi- 
dentially, hid  his  arms  an*  body  behind  the 
great  bulk  of  the  image— an1  thin  upon  the 
face  of  him  he  spread  the  gintlest  and  tin- 
derest  smile  that  was  in  him. 

Sure  it  was  all  the  same  to  the  loonatics. 
Indade,  it  seemed  an  improvement.  For, 
no  sooner  did  a  daft  wan  catch  the  twinkle 
in  Keth's  eye  than  the  twisted  brains  of  him 


WURRA-WUEEA 


were  all  straightened  out  an1  he  passed  on 
rejoicin*.  As  the  last  of  the  crazy  wans 
were  droppin'  their  troubles  on  Wurra- 
Wurra,  Keth  saw  that  Patrick  an*  his  fol- 
lowers had  rached  the  bottom  of  the  valley, 
where  the  blissed  saint  that  was  to  be,  sur- 
rounded by  his  bishops  and  his  priests  and 
his  psalmists,  all  in  their  vestmints,  was 
prachin'  the  Gospil  an'  makin'  converts  of 
iverybody. 


73 


WURRA-WURRA 


All  the  while  Keth  grew  bolder  with  his 
smile  an*  the  twinkle  in  his  eye.  Whin  it 
came  to  the  turn  of  the  old  dames  with  their 
cow-yard  troubles,  siveral  times  he  forgot 
himsilf  so  far  as  to  smile  aloud.  Indade, 
more  than  wan  full-stomached  guffaw  did  he 
give  in  the  face  of  thim,  an'  got  away  with 
it,  so  rayjoiced  they  were  with  the  lightness 
of  heart  that  Wurra-Wurra  gave  thim. 

Whin  it  came  to  the  sorrowin'  maids  with 


74 


WUEEA-WUEEA 


their  sad  tales  on  their  swatehearts,  beyond 
a  wink  or  two  at  the  prettiest  Keth  was 
moved  to  restrain  himsilf.  For  sure,  many 
were  the  pitiful  tales  of  loving  maids' 
troubles  they  poured  in  his  ear!  Tales  they 
were  that  made  his  heart  sore,  an'  disturbed 
his  mind  with  recollictions  of  strange  words 
lately  dropped  by  Finola  of  the  White 
Shoulder.  'Twas  this  new  light  on  those 
same  words  that  now  caused  Keth  Mac 


75 


W UREA- W  UREA 


Maragh  to  forget  for  a  mo- 
mint  the  smile  of  Wurra- 
Wurra,  an*  to  close  his  eyes 
with  the  pain  of  the  thought 
that  came  to  him. 

An1  whin  Keth  opened  his 
eyes  the  last  of  the  maids  was 
prostrated  before  him— an* 
she  was  Finola!  Quickly— 
though  his  soul  quaked— he 
raycalled  the  smile  of  Wurra- 
Wurra  to  his  face.  'Twas 
none  too  soon,  for  Finola, 
risen  to  her  feet  an*  leanin' 
over,  was  pourin'  into  the 
idol's  ear  all  the  grafe  an1 
dread  that  clutched  her  heart. 
76 


Jfrth,  in  the  shattered  idoT»  place,  hears  Flnola's  great  worry 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


From  Finola's  lips  the  tale  was  like  a  white- 
hot  iron  in  Keth's  vitals.  Yet  it  made  his 
heart  swell  an'  rache  out  to  her  so  that  he 
could  not  restrain  himsilf,  but  turned  his  head 
an*  put  his  lips  to  hers  in  a  kiss  that  dropped 
her  like  wan  dead  at  the  idol's  feet. 

Now  Keth  Mac  Maragh  knew  what  it  was 
for  him  to  do,  an1  he  rayjoiced  to  do  it 
quickly.  He  came  out  from  behind  the 
shattered  idol,  an*  lifted  the  limp  form  of 
Finola  in  his  arms,  an*  bore  her  swiftly 


77 


WURRA-WURRA 


through  the  press  of  people 
up  to  Patrick  himsilf,  an' 
said: 

"Good  Patrick  of  Ar- 
magh, this  maid  gave  her 
swate  silf  to  me  more  suns 
gone  by  than  it  pleases  me 
to  raymimber.  As  thy  faith- 
ful follower,  an*  for  the 
honor  of  thy  household,  I 
pray  you  now  give  her  to  me 
in  the  name  of  our  Holy 
Church  an*  in  the  sight  of 
all  min." 

An'  Patrick,  seein'  how 

the  matter  lay— Finola  bein' 

raycovered  from  her  swoon 

an'  clingin'  tight  to  Keth— 

78 


Patrick  marries  and  Messes  Kelh  and  Finola  of  the  White  Shoulder 


WURRA-WURRA 


thin  an'  there  married  an' 
blissed  thim. 

'Tis  towld  in  the  books 
how  Keth  became  a  bishop, 
though  niver  would  he  alto- 
gether lay  aside  the  hand- 
stone  which  had  lain  low 
the  last  idol  in  Ireland,  an* 
how  all  the  four  fine  sons 
that  Finola  bore  him  were 
sure  death  to  snakes  an* 
Druid  wizards  till  not  wan 
of  ayther  was  lift  in  the 
land. 

Concernin'  the  grotto,  an* 
the  headless  idol  in  it,  all 
there  prisint  bein'  now  con- 

79 


W UREA -W URRA 


vertid  Christians,  by  their  own  free  will  they 
prisintly  destroyed  ivery  vistige  of  both. 
Yet  to  this  day  there  remains  on  the  lips  of 
all  the  Irish  race  in  time  of  trouble  or  worry 
that  same  ancient  invocation:  "O  Wurra- 
Wurra!" 

An'  the  ixplanation  is  Patrick's  own  desire 
that  it  should  be  so.  For,  as  he  raymarked 
upon  that  occasion,  Wurra-Wurra,  as  spoken 
in  the  Gaelic,  is  the  same  as  wan  calling 
upon  the  blissid  Virgin,  "O  Mary!"  in  that 
tongue. 

FINIS. 


WURRA-WURRA 

From  a  Photograph  of  the  original  wax  model  of  the  reconstructed  Idol. 


"  Ye've  only  to  whisper  your  worries  into  the  blissed 
ear  of  Wurra-Wurra  an'  they'll  all  fall  from  ye,  lavin' 
ye  clane  an'  paceful  an'  in  your  right  mind." — Legend 
of  Wurra-Wurra. 


HISTORICAL  NOTES 


HISTORICAL  NOTES  ON  THE  LEGEND 


BANBA  (p.  39)  :  "Banba,  the  queen  of  one  of  the  three 
Dedannan  princes,  who  ruled  the  land,  sent  a  swarm 
of  meisa,  or  phantoms,  which  froze  the  blood  of  the 
invaders  (the  Milesians)  with  terror." — Joyce's 
Social  History  of  Ancient  Ireland. 

BOG-CURED  CHEESE  (p.  72) :  "Masses  of  cheese  have 
been  found  in  bogs,  of  which  some  specimens  may 
be  seen  in  the  National  Museum." — Joyce's  Social 
History. 

BOOK  OF  THE  DUN  Cow  (p.  14) :  "One  of  the  most 
ancient  collections  of  Irish  historical  and  legendary 
material,  curiously  named  for  the  color  of  the  cow 
in  whose  tanned  skin  it  was  bound." — Joyce. 

BREHON  LAW  (p.  44) :  "A  judge  was  called  a  Brehon. 
.  .  .  The  Brehons  had  absolutely  in  their  hands  the 
85 


WU  ERA-WU  RE  A 


interpretation  of  the  laws  and  the  application  of 
them  to  individual  cases." — Joyce. 

CROMM  CRUACH  (p.  11):  "Cromm  Cruach,  covered 
with  gold  and  silver,  and  twelve  other  idols  covered 
with  brass  about  him." — Tripartite  Life  of  St. 
Patrick. 

"And  the  earth  swallowed  up  the  twelve  other 
images  as  far  as  their  heads,  and  they  stand  thus  in 
token  of  the  miracle." — Book  of  Armagh. 

DEDANNAN  FURIES  (p.  22) :  "A  mythical  race  of 
powerful,  demoniac  and  dangerous  elves." — Joyce. 

DEMONS,  WIZARDS,  DRUIDS  (p.  24) :  All  the  ancient 
accounts  agree  that  while  the  Druids  were  the  only 
educators  in  the  Ireland  of  their  time,  they  were  also 
magicians  and  wizards,  and  could  command  the  ser- 
vices of  demons  and  fairies,  good  and  bad. — Tr. 

'The  demons  used  to  show  themselves  unto  their 
worshippers  in  visible  forms:  they  often  attacked 
the  people,  and  they  were  seen  flying  in  the  air  and 
86 


WURRA-WURRA 


walking  on  the  earth,  loathsome  and  horrible  to 
behold/'— Joyce. 

"God  protect  me  from  the  spells  of  women 
(Druidesses)  and  Smiths,  and  Druids." — St.  Pat- 
rick's Hymn. 

DUBTHACH  MAC  NA  LucAiR  (p.  42)  i  Here  the  Leg- 
end does  not  quite  agree  with  the  authorities.  In- 
stead of  being  attached  to  the  court  of  the  King 
of  Connaught,  he  was  royal  poet  and  shanachy  at 
Tara  during  the  greater  part  of  Laeghaire's  reign 
as  Over-King  of  Ireland. — Tr. 

ETHNE  THE  FAIR,  AND  FEDELM  THE  RUDDY  (p.  9) : 
In  the  "Tripartite  Life  of  St.  Patrick"  and  in  the 
"Book  of  Armagh,"  these  two  daughters  of  King 
Laeghaireare  mentioned  as  being  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Druid  priests,  Caplait  and  Lucat-Moel, 
at  the  time  when  Patrick  overthrew  Cromm  Cruach 
and  the  twelve  smaller  idols  and  made  Christian 
converts  of  the  entire  royal  family. — Tr. 
87 


WURRA-WURRA 


FINOLA  OF  THE  WHITE  SHOULDER  (p.  16)  :  A  heroine 
of  the  "Book  of  Armagh."  Evidently  the  Legend 
mistakes  her  for  Cruimthiris,  mentioned  in  the 
"Tripartite  Life"  as  one  of  the  three  embroideresses 
in  Patrick's  household. 

(P.  79)  :  The  reference  to  the  four  sons  of  Finola 
of  the  White  Shoulder  is  clearly  legendary. — Tr. 

FASTING  TO  COLLECT  A  DEBT  (p.  42) :  'The  plaintiff, 
having  served  due  notice,  went  to  the  house  of  the 
defendant,  and,  sitting  before  the  door,  remained 
there  without  food ;  and  as  long  as  he  remained,  the 
defendant  was  also  obliged  to  fast." — Joyce. 

GEIS  (p.  62) :  "A  geis  was  something  forbidden.  It 
was  believed  to  be  very  dangerous  to  disregard  these 
prohibitions." — Joyce. 

GLANNGALT  (p.  48) :  "There  is  a  valley  in  Kerry 
called  Glanngalt,  the  glen  of  the  gaits,  or  lunatics." 
— Joyce. 

Here  the  Legend,  by  locating  Glanngalt  in  Ros- 
common,  is  palpably  in  error. — Tr. 


W  U  R  R  A  -  W  U  R  R  A 


HANDSTONE  (p.  20)  :  "It  was  the  custom  at  that  time, 
every  champion  they  killed  in  single  combat,  to  take 
the  brains  out  of  their  heads  and  mix  lime  with 
them  till  they  were  formed  into  hard  balls." — Book 
of  Leinster. 

INNS  (p.  26)  :  The  hospitable  custom  of  maintaining 
inns  for  the  free  entertainment  of  travellers  is  men- 
tioned by  nearly  all  authorities  regarding  the  social 
life  of  the  ancient  Irish.  A  most  interesting  ac- 
count is  contained  in  "Joyce's  Social  History." — Tr. 

LAEGHAIRE  (p.  9) :  Modern  form,  Leary;  he  was  the 
Irish  Over-King  when  Patrick  landed  at  Wicklow 
and  began  his  missionary  labors  in  Ireland,  A.D. 
432.  All  the  characters  in  the  Legend  are  historic, 
and  the  names  are  spelled  as  originally  derived  from 
the  Gaelic. — Tr. 

MAC  MARAGH,  KETH   (p.   14) :   Evidently  confused 
with  Keth  Magach,  a  famous  warrior  and  champion 
of  that  time,  whose  exploits  are  narrated  in  the 
"Book  of  Armagh." — Tr. 
89 


WU  ERA- W UREA 


MACC  CAIRTHINN  (p.  20) :  In  the  ''Tripartite  Life" 
Mace  Cairthinn  is  named  as  Patrick's  Strong  Man. 
Evidently  the  Legend  confuses  him  with  Keth 
Magach. 

(P.  21):  According  to  the  "Tripartite  Life,"  it 
was  Patrick's  Strong  Man,  Mace  Cairthinn,  who 
became  a  bishop,  not  Keth  Magach. — Tr. 

METHEGLIN  (p.  47) :  Also  called  mead,  "was  made 
chiefly  from  honey :  it  was  a  drink  in  much  request, 
and  was  considered  a  delicacy.  ...  It  was  slightly 
intoxicating. " — Joyce. 

POPULATION  (p.  25) :  "For  the  people  were  very  nu- 
merous in  Ireland  at  that  time,  and  so  great  were 
their  numbers  that  the  land  could  afford  but  thrice 
nine  ridges  to  each  man  in  Erin:  viz.,  nine  of  bog, 
nine  of  field  and  nine  of  wood." — Book  of  Hymns 
(Todd). 

PRESBITER  BESCNA  (p.  13) :  Named,  with  all  the  mem- 
bers of  Patrick's  household,  in  the  "Tripartite 
Life."— Tr. 

90 


WURRA-WURRA 


RED  BRANCH  KNIGHTS  (p.  20) :  According  to  Joyce 
and  other  authorities,  this  was  an  order  created  by 
Concobar  Mac  Nessa,  a  very  ancient  king  of  Ulster, 
and  whose  greatest  commander  was  Cuculainn,  the 
mightiest  hero  of  Irish  romance. — Tr. 

SHANACHY  (p.  26}:  "The  people  .  .  .  took  delight  in 
listening  to  poetry,  history  and  romantic  stories, 
recited  by  professional  poets  and  shanachies." — 
Joyce. 

STANDARDS  OF  VALUE  (p.  44)  :  As  in  many  other  coun- 
tries in  ancient  times,  a  cow,  or  an  ox,  was  the 
standard  of  value.  It  seems  probable,  therefore, 
that  the  Legend  is  correct  in  using  sheep,  pigs  and 
geese  for  the  "fractional  currency"  of  the  period. — 
Tr. 

STRONG  MAN  (p.  14)  :  These  Strong  Men,  or  cham- 
pions, like  the  smiths  and  other  metal-workers,  ap- 
pear frequently  in  the  old  annals  as  distinguished 
also  for  their  knowledge  of  law  and  history,  and  for 
their  story-telling  ability. — Tr. 


WURRA-WURRA 


TARA  (p.  10) :  Seat  of  the  Irish  Over-Kings.  Old 
Erin's  centre  of  government,  of  learning  and  of 
chivalry.  Then,  as  now,  the  most  eloquent  of  all 
words  descriptive  of  Ireland's  ancient  glory.  In 
poetry,  imperishable  in  the  line :  ''The  harp  that  once 
thro'  Tara's  halls."  The  scene  of  St.  Patrick's  first 
efforts  to  redeem  Ireland  from  paganism. — Tr. 

TOBERNAGALT  (p.  48)  :  "Drinking  of  the  water  of 
Tobernagalt  (the  lunatics'  well),  and  eating  of  the 
cresses  that  grew  along  the  little  stream,  the  poor 
wanderers  get  restored  to  sanity.  .  .  .  There  is  a 
well  called  Stroove  Bran,  which  was  thought  to  pos- 
sess the  same  virtue  as  Tobernagalt." — Joyce. 

WURRA-WURRA  (p.  18)  :  The  authorities  do  not  spe- 
cifically mention  the  existence  of  an  idol  having  that 
name ;  but  they  agree  that  idols  were  worshipped  in 
all  parts  of  ancient  Ireland. — Tr. 

The  Irish  up  to  that  time  (St.  Patrick's)  "had 
worshipped  only  idols  and  abominations." — St.  Pat- 
rick's Confession. 

92 


WURRA-WU  ERA 


"The  destruction  of  idols  in  various  parts  of  the 
country  was  an  important  part  of  St.  Patrick's  life- 
work." — Joyce. 

(P.  80) :  Some  Gaelic  scholars  hold  that  the  fa- 
miliar exclamation,  " Wurra-wurra !"  is  the  nearest 
approach  in  that  tongue  to  the  conventional  invo- 
cation of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  The  Legend,  how- 
ever, makes  it,  in  that  sense,  an  adaptation — 
evidently  intending  a  tribute  to  St.  Patrick's  well- 
known  policy  of  harmonizing  his  teachings,  as  far 
as  possible  at  the  start,  with  ancient  customs  and 
beliefs. — Tr. 


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